Projects

BACKGROUND

The Club has amassed a large number of historic rail vehicles in over 40 years of operation. The oldest two vehicles are a hand crane (built in 1874) - still in regular use and very recently restored with new timber, bolts, paintwork - with a grant from Waikato Community Trust grant 1997, a steam locomotive F 185 built in 1878 and now operating after an extensive restoration overhaul. There is of course the newly restored Price CB 117, built 1927 and also the Peckett built 1923, built to haul coal wagons from Pukemiro Mine to NZR sidings at Pukemiro Junction.

Preservation and maintenance of these (and many, many, many) other historic items is best achieved by using them on the railway, or by storage out of the weather.

(Storage out of the weather both protects the investment made by both the community (Trust grants) and members in terms of man-hours and dollars spent on restoration items).

The Club has completed a locomotive shelter with the near completion of the addition of an engineering workshop area (so the locomotives/wagons may be taken under shelter for welding/engineering repairs). This shelter helps to preserve a limited number of steam locomotives, and this shelter has doubled as a makeshift workshop for items not able to be removed to the workshop area in the ‘Pukemiro Hall’ - that is the current ‘workshop and storage’ area for maintenance of all operating and rolling stock currently under restoration. Of course there is no line or shelter to take rolling gear to the equipment - all equipment is lugged around the yard - including power extension leads, gas welding equipment, water hoses etc.

This Club was fortunate in having the use of the old Pukemiro social hall (built by the miners from the local Pukemiro mine in the 1920’s. This building has been used as a workshop, storage area and as a display area for artifacts such as small stationery steam engines and old workshop equipment.

A slip (1992) behind the hall, (built in the 1930’s) displaced by a large rainstorm, fell into the hall, knocking it off its piles and forcing the local inspector to condemn it. The Club, since then has been forced to find ‘alternatives’ to the hall for workshop- storage and display areas.

The Club’s facilities have increased since this ‘mishap’ with progressive completion of loco-shelters and now engineering workshop section, re-siting and full restoration of the ex-Rotowaro Railway Station building (renamed “Pukemiro Junction Station”) and guard's van for display of artifacts, re-sited ‘shop’ building and the ‘shanty’ - our club members accommodation when they stay-over (also doubles up as a storage for paperwork, and important club documents). The above were either built and funded entirely or labour content by the Club members. The engineering workshop area, which has progressed due to the generous Lottery Grants Board - Heritage Section's granted funding of $11211.00 in September 1994; the upgraded toilet block funding from Council and Town board and re-sited ex-shop partial funding from WEL Energy Trust - is the current public facilities work undertaken by this Club.

The Club also undertook to completely restore to running order steam loco F 185 - for which the club received the A & G Price Restoration Award in 1997 - awarded from our peers (National Federation of Railway Societies).

Our other restoration projects recently completed are:

Steam loco CB 117 (yet to have an application placed for consideration for the above award).

Re-siting from Rotowaro station to Pukemiro Junction and restoration (completed within eighteen months) of The Railway Station building.

Restoration of Meremere diesels #401 and #402.

Restoration of hand-trolleys x 3.

Purchase of tractor mounted digger - and buckets.

Re-siting and re-painting of jigger shed (ex Tauranga).

Planting programme (future proposal also on hand).

Road widening and car-park development at Junction.

Purchase and minor maintenance of ‘shanty’ building (Club members club rooms).

Re-painting of storage huts and sheds at Junction.

Junction track-work - included replacement of points, sleepers & painting points levers.

Replacement of Junction platform edge timber work.

Preparation and sealing of platform levels at Junction.

Preparation and eventual re-siting of ex-shop (completed)

Drainage improvements, track and site work.

Extra water storage tanks and associated plumbing.

Near completion of carriage AF 1047.

Restoration of ‘Mines’ car.

CURRENT CLUB PROJECTS

at a glance

Restoration of the Goodman Battry Electric Locomotive.

Restoration of motor jigger.

Repairs to ‘Peckett’ loco (flame shields).

Restoration of ‘bunk-car’.

Terminus development, to include formation of platform, development of lop-track/track-bed and drainage (collaboration with Council).

Re-siting of ex-shop building (and re-cladding of this)

Toilet block building improvements.

Track and siding development.

Glen Afton end - track extension.

Diesel #401 maintenance programme.

Diesel #402 painting programme.

YB (ballast) wagon re-paint.

Restoration to running order - DS diesel loco.

Public road re-grading/metalling.

These currently projected programmes are:

1/ Five year programme to extend track through to Glen Afton end of main line and loop (West-end of operations).

2/ Completion of carriage restoration projects on hand.

3/ Completion of other rolling stock programmes - 1874 hand crane, ballast and track wagons.

4/ Further development of ‘Terminus’ end of line - Rotowaro-end of track.

5/ On-going annual boiler survey maintenance work X 3.

6/ Diesel maintenance X 7 locos.

7/ New Restoration work on DS loco.

8/ Spark arrestor construction on two steam locos.

9/ Track repair maintenance work.

10/ Drainage for car-park area at new terminus end (East-end)(Waikato District Council helping over 3 year period.

11/ On-going membership training programmes.

12/ Membership volunteer for all operations of railway for Standard open days X 12 spread between April and December of each year, On-going charter work and Annual Sponsors day (Club’s way of saying thanks to those Trusts, firms and personnel)

13/ Completion of engineering workshop (voluntary labour input) and relocation of equipment into loco workshop.

14/ Re-cladding and internal building improvement to ‘public conveniences’ - now completed.

15/ Re-siting and re-cladding of ex-shop building (Now completed but finishing platform sealing project around this building).

16/ Picnic area and public facilities.

17/ Overhaul of the other carriages currently in use.

And the membership have indicated at the recent Annual General Meeting the desire for the restoration of ‘The Heisler’ - the club’s flag ship (flag train!).

The club also have a large number of tools that are necessary for the overhaul of rolling stock and locomotives. These include taps and dies, specialized spanners, fittings for the boilers and locos. Track repairs and maintenance equipment, vehicles other than railway equipment (such as digger and buckets, front-end loader). The storage and accessibility of these has always been a ‘issue’ - the Club Members tolerate this situation and ‘accept’ this as their lot until the engineering workshop is secure and power connections as required connected.